Career Fairs: Job Network Central

Career or job fairs provide a great dual purpose:  Students can meet employers face-to-face to obtain valuable job and career information that can lead directly to a job offer. These fairs also help employers evaluate and recruit suitable job applicants.

Attending career fairs offers major networking payoffs because you can connect with so many employers in one place.

This article provides information about career fairs and strategies to help you gain the most from them. The topics covered include:

Gain BIG Benefits From Career Fairs

Career fairs offer great job search and networking benefits because you can meet and learn from many of your target employers in one setting: The following list highlights big values you can gain by participating in these fairs:

  • Get job leads—and even job offers
  • Practice your job search communication skills in “mini-interviews” without real interview pressures
  • Obtain first-hand information about companies and jobs you are interested in
  • Gather employer or career information you can use later to strengthen your cover letter, resume, and interview
  • Get tips on job search and career planning from those in the field
  • Increase your competence and confidence in discussing your career interests and qualifications
  • Increase your career network and make valuable contacts in your career field
  • Help identify the appropriate employer match for you through face-to-face discussions and review of company literature
  • Get a sense of the status of the job market

Know the Types of Career Fairs

The most common types of career fairs include:

  • Campus-sponsored:  These fairs are typically sponsored by the campus career services or placement office or by a specific campus department. This is often the best type for upcoming or recent graduates because the variety of employers and job openings is typically broad, and the openings are at an appropriate level.
  • Commercial- or Company-sponsored:  Individual companies sponsor these career fairs to recruit for specific (often entry level) positions.
  • Community-sponsored: These fairs feature employers from every spectrum in the community and are designed to recruit employees in the local area.
  • Commercial regional:  These are large, highly advertised fairs designed to attract students from a regional area.  Independent companies run these fairs featuring many employers from the area. Competition for openings is high.
  • Industry or career-specific:  These fairs are often hosted by specific professional or trade associations and are designed only for people specializing in these fields.
  • Internet:  These cyber-fairs are hosted by specific career web sites.  Employers post job opportunities, and job seekers can apply for a specified period of time.  These can be useful for people considering relocation.

Make the Most of Career Fairs

Career Fairs are fast-paced events designed to help as many employers and job seekers connect as possible in the time scheduled.  To get the most from these fairs, you need to have a well-honed game plan.  The following strategies will help you gain maximum benefits:
  1. Research employers ahead of time:. Find out which employers will be participating and research to learn as much as you can about those you are more interested in before the fair. Check the employers’ web sites and all other appropriate sources mentioned in Chapter 8.  A few well-placed and positive comments that demonstrate your knowledge of the employer always make a favorable impression.
  2. Pre-register for the fair: If the fair permits pre-registration, always do so.  This may require you to submit a resume. 
  3. Prepare a career fair marketing kit: This will help you project professionalism and efficiency.  Bring your self-marketing items in a business portfolio (leather or leather look). Items to include are:
    1. Resumes.  Employers definitely expect job seekers to provide their resumes.  If you have more than one job objective, bring multiple copies of resumes targeted for each one.  No cover letter is expected.
    2. Portfolio samples of your best work.
    3. Letters of recommendation.
    4. Pen, pencil, paper, calendar.
    5. Your business cards.  Consider making your own if you’re savvy with the software, or ask a friend to help you. Keep the lines professional looking, use a clean font, and omit cartoon-like graphics. Print them on good card stock and cut them carefully with a good paper cutter.  Avoid the perforated business card paper—it doesn’t’ look professional.
  4. Dress for the part: Dress the way you would be expected to do in the job you are seeking—typically that will be office casual or a business suite.  This requires doing your employer research beforehand.
  5. Arrive early and devise your strategy: Career fairs can get increasingly hectic as the day progresses.  Those who arrive early often get the best attention from employers.  Begin by scoping out the entire career fair area to (a) get an overall feel for the layout, (b) locate the employers that are top on your list so you can decide the order you want to use to approach them.
  6. Gather information from the booths:  As part of your preparation, approach the employer tables or booths from the side and collect samples of their brochures and other literature.  Then stay within earshot to hear what types of questions recruiters are asking. This will help you prepare for your own exchanges with the recruiters.
  7. Be prepared for your interview:  Long before the fair, polish your 60-second commercial—your self-marketing pitch (see Chapter 11 for details).  Typically you’ll have two to five minutes for your presentation and questions.  Always offer a firm handshake and good eye contact followed by your self-introduction.  Be enthusiastic!  Practice your “script” carefully ahead of time so you can deliver it comfortably.  (Also see “Prepare and Practice Your Script” later in this article.) Avoid all fidgeting habits.
    NOTE: Always ask for recruiters for their business cards, and when appropriate, give them yours along with your resume.
  8. Identify Your Contacts for Future Reference: As soon as possible after receiving a business card or making a networking contact, record the details of your meeting (on the back of the business card or on your own note paper).  Record name and contact information as well when and where you met plus any other details of the meeting.  Use this “When we met” information when you next contact this person (by telephone, in a cover letter, etc.).  This gives you a definite advantage because it helps the contact person remember who you are, and it shows initiative.
  9. Network ALL the time:While moving around the floor, standing in line, taking a break, network with everyone, including other job seekers—ask about their job search and the companies they are pursuing.  Sometimes professional organizations or employment agencies also attend; these are all good networking sources.
  10. Don’t make the rounds with a friend: This can project lack of confidence and competence. Also if a recruiter doesn’t like one of you, the feeling my transfer to the other.       

Be Ready for the First Question

The question recruiters most frequently ask first is, "What are you looking for today?"  Be ready for this with a smooth reply that gets you off to a positive start and helps you transition comfortably through the conversation.  An appropriate answer is tailored and based on your employer research; it reflects the needs and interests of the employer. Mention your interest in a position requiring your own qualifications and interests.

Prepare and Practice Your Script

Prepare a simple script, based on your 60-Second Commercial (Chapter 11), and practice it well.  A brief sample is shown below—tailor your own appropriately:

"Hello, my name is ______________.  I am a senior graduating in ______.  I have completed an internship in _________ (or)  My related work experience includes ________________ (give very brief, related examples of skills, assignments, accomplishments). I’ve been reading about ________________ (name of company), and would like to learn more about the career and job opportunities in your company."
As you approach the end of your discussion, always ask what you can do next to progress in the hiring process.  Questions you can ask include: "Can you tell me what the next step is in the hiring process?" "What would I need to do to obtain a second interview ?"

Ask Appropriate Questions

  1. How did you enter this field?  Do you have any advice for people seeking to enter it?
  2. What major fields of study and specific courses are most relevant for this field?
  3. What post-graduate study is important to progress in this career area?
  4. How important are related work or internship experiences and grades in being hired?
  5. What are the typical entry-level job titles, and what are the scopes of these jobs?
  6. What personal characteristics are important in this field?
  7. Can you suggest special classes or projects that would help me prepare for this career area?
  8. What are the typical salary ranges in this field?
  9. Do you have any advice for someone who is interested in working in the field, and could you recommend appropriate reading materials?
  10. What do you think the employment outlook is for this career field in this area and throughout the United States?
  11. Could you recommend any other people I could contact to discuss this career area?
  12. Do you hire students for internships or cooperative education positions?
  13. Could you suggest any volunteer work that might help me get some experience in this area?
  14. What types of jobs will you be recruiting for, and what specific qualifications are you seeking in filling them? (After the recruiter summarizes the qualifications they are seeking is a perfect time for you mention any of those qualifications you have!)

Boost Your Visibility With a Second Visit

Before you complete your career fair activities, return to the booths or locations of the employers you are most interested in. Approach the recruiters again. With a sense of purpose and confidence, offer a firm handshake, state your name again, and thank them for their time and information. Add that you are interested in the company and will follow up to learn more about career possibilities.

This return visit helps your name stand out when the recruiters are reviewing stacks of resumes back in their offices. The return also demonstrates confidence, which suggests competence—all favorable outcomes for your effort!

Follow Up to Gain Competitive Advantage

Good follow up often separates successful career fair goers from the rest of the pack.  These are steps you should take to gain the competitive advantage:

  1. Make written reminders during the event or immediately after of all follow up you are to complete, such as providing promised information, scheduling or keeping appointments, etc.
  2. Record all information about your contacts necessary for future contact.  Refer to the business card you collected or your notes of contacts made during the fair.
  3. Evaluate your own performance and make notes of what techniques worked best for your future networking reference (See the self-evaluation form at the end of this article.)
Send a hand written thank you note to all the recruiters you want to pursue in your job search.   Thank them for their time and for the information they provided and remind them of your interest. Include a copy of your resume and customized cover letter.  You can also call recruiters to thank them briefly and obtain additional information, if necessary.  Be mindful of their time.

Your Career Action Assignment
  1. To expand your networking influence and help reach or employment goal, research to identify at least one upcoming career fair in your local or regional area.   Some sources for this information include: (a) your campus career services office; (b) newspaper help-wanted ads, (c) your local chamber of commerce; (d) the Internet—access your favorite search engine sites, such as Google.com, Yahoo.com, Altavista.com, and try using the search string "career fair" or "job fair."
  2. Obtain the following information about the career fair you identify:
    1. Which employers will be participating?
    2. The date, time, and location of the career fair
  3. Review all the information and strategies included in this article.
  4. Make a list of the suggestions that are most pertinent to your job search.
  5. Arrange to attend one career fair and apply the techniques you have identified.
  6. Immediately after attending the career fair, complete a self-evaluation answering the questions below:

Career Fair Self-Evaluation

Directions:  To gain the most benefit from your career fair experience, answer each of the following questions thoroughly and complete the follow actions.

  1. List each of the career fair strategies you used that  seemed most  effective:
  2. List all follow up actions you need to take (supplying information, scheduling or keeping  a future appointment, etc.)
  3. Take action on all the follow up you identified in #2 above.
  4. List the names of all useful contacts you made during the fair.  Include the names of employers, recruiters, temporary work recruiters, other job seekers—anyone you think may be a good networking or job lead contact.

 

© Copyright 2002,  South-Western Educational Publishing, a division of Thomson Learning. All rights reserved.